The idea being to have a few more units to push into Romania if Germany puts a complex there (rarely see this anymore, but it’s still something to think about.)
romania IC is suboptimal. Think about it. you pay 30ipc round 1 when you could have gotten 10 inf in germany, moved it to the right and be ready to push russia round 3, so it is like you wasted 30 to get the same results of having 10 inf in the front. You build off IC round 2 and it pushes right goes to russia round 3 at the same time.
If you are getting it on round 2, 30 ipc on a factory instead of mech/tanks to push and take minor ICs from russia. Russia has 3 minor ics which is more than enough to get fodder / artillery or tanks for the all in.
If you are using the IC to spam infantry to get it closer to russia every round, you could do sea lion bluff, then have a transport shuck from west germany to anything north.
The only thing that sinks a baltic fleet is bombers from uk blasting it and being able to land archangel or something. and you could always shuck infantry over.
so you lose 30 ipc for infantry fodder instead of having spend 30 on mech/tanks… but if you are thinking 10 infantry / artillery to slug forward you start out -30 for the major the mech player is up 3 mech 3 tanks. you “save money getting infantry artillery” the round after so 6 inf 4 artillery = 30 ipc mech/tank player gets 3 mech 3 tank again…. the mech/tank player is at 12 units when you are at 10, the 2nd time you drop infantry/artillery is when you paid your dues and are beginning to save money… however the player with mech/tanks has caught those units up to his main force and is pushing and driving deeper into russia making more money.
Also the mech/tank player can always blitz guys into the middle east, bank real fast and come back to threaten russia. Or after russia is done, he’ll get to egypt before allies can respond. (4 moves from russia vs 7 walking there).
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As far as japan invading russia first goes, the counter to that is pretty basic, I mean at that point you know japan is not going for a pacific win at… really now. uk pac / anzac will be good for a long time, just drop 3 subs 3 dds maybe some carriers every now n then as usa… don’t sweat it so much. when russia gets +18 inf +6 inf +2aa guns back near his air/tank/artillery… it is really bad. you know there are only 9 russian ipc from urals and to the right… (3 inf a turn lost to japan… getting 24 inf back to russia means you are good for 8 rounds.
USA could just go full pacific so UK PAC can just mech / march his way over to russia. or USA could go europe and fly bombers/fighters into russia (bombers from russia hits lots of things. could snipe guys bought on complexes if he is desperate.
Lots of people prefer to rush calcutta, because that puts japan 1 vc away from winning pacific… usa usually freaks out at that point and over commits to pacific.
UK PAC dead also means nothing stops germany from getting the last VC after russia goes under (also allies have to reenforce russia from either the middle east or siberia).
The VC rule is pretty much why axis wins most of the games, axis just have to win on one side. Not to mention after round 1 the game is pretty even except axis are closer to the objectives than the allies are.
which is what the bid is for, so allies can stop losing all the time. also an opportunity to do something fun on the first round.